


Serendipity Can Be Complicated

by fandommatchmaker19



Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:54:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23757208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandommatchmaker19/pseuds/fandommatchmaker19
Summary: Two complicated marriages. Six estraged Mikaelsons.When tragedy strikes, the siblings are forced to meet again, along with their families. But, certain things are not what they seem, and as the truth is revealed, new relationships blossom. Will they find a way to all be happy? Or, are they all doomed?
Relationships: Caroline Forbes/Klaus Mikaelson, Hayley Marshall/Elijah Mikaelson
Comments: 12
Kudos: 34





	1. The One in Which Elijah Gets a Phone Call

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, everyone! So, together with Bella, I came up with the idea of this AU. I hope you enjoy it, because I'm having lots of fun with it! Enjoy!

Elijah Mikaelson stared outside his window, absentmindedly playing with his wedding band. [Not that the wedding band meant much given the actual reason behind his marriage, but since he had to wear it at work, he’d gotten used to it]. His eyes glanced briefly at his laptop screen, and the details of his latest case, before drifting to the photographs that adorned his desk. [He wasn’t really fan of decorations, which is why Caroline had been the one to put his office together when he’d moved, but the photographs on his desk were special]. The first one was a picture of himself and his daughter, the second of himself, Caroline and their, and the third was of himself and his youngest brother Henrik, who had died in a car crash years ago. Angelina Grace wasn’t really his daughter, but he saw her as such, and loved her terribly, having raised her since she was born. She looked entirely like her mother, Caroline, with bright blue eyes and curly blonde hair, a fact for which he was grateful. [He wasn’t sure how it would have been if she looked anything like her biological father]. With a heavy sigh, Elijah shook himself out of his thoughts before returning his focus to the case in front of him. He didn’t have long until his lunch break meeting, so he planned to get a little bit ahead beforehand. As he was in the middle of meticulously going through the facts of the case, his phone rang, interrupting him, and he can’t help but wonder who it could be (most likely Caroline). Alas, it was not, and the number was unknown.

A gentle woman’s voice greeted him, “hello. Is this Mr. Elijah Mikaelson?”

“Yes, he is,” he replied, wondering who it could be and why she was calling him on his personal phone.

“This is St. Catherine Memorial Hospital,” she explained, and immediately Elijah’s breath hitched in his throat. Something was obviously wrong if someone is calling him from the hospital. _Is it Caroline? Angie? One of his siblings whom he hadn’t spoken to in years?_

“Wh- what’s wrong?” he finally managed to stutter out.

“Uh, I am calling because you were listed as the emergency contact for Mr. Mikael Mikaelson. Is that correct?”

Elijah swallowed thickly. “Uh, y- yes. That is correct. I am his son,” he replied neutrally. [He wondered what could have happened to Mikael, and his stomach tightened nervously. He and his father rarely speak these days except for their monthly lunch and the occasional phone call in which Mikael remembers one of his other children, and calls to ask Elijah if he’d heard from them. The answer is always ‘no’ given that Elijah himself hadn’t spoken to any of his siblings in years. Mikael would usually mutter something unintelligible, tsk, and switch the subject by either enquiring about Elijah’s cases, or Caroline, or Angelina]. “Did- has something happened to my father?” he asked, struggling to keep his tone even.

“Mr. Mikaelson, your father was in a car crash earlier and was rushed to the hospital. We’ve just taken him into surgery,” the nurse – presumably – says in one go, her voice calm and soft. Elijah felt like he’d been sucker punched, and he sat there motionlessly, his mouth agape, unable to say anything. Finally, after taking a few deep breaths, he cleared his throat.

“I, uh, I’ll be there shortly,” he uttered before ending the call and standing up. His assistant, Gia sauntered into his office just as he grabbed his keys off the table.

“Going somewhere?” she asked, her wavy dark hair swept over her shoulder, and she rested a hand on her hip as she leaned against the door. “Because, you have your lunch meeting with Vincent in fifteen, then a deposition at 2:30, and a suppression hearing. And, Caroline’s assistant called. Apparently, Caroline has a big event emergency, and you need to pick Angelina up from daycare at 5:00,” she informed him, crossing her arms over her chest. Elijah grumbles.

“Call Vincent and tell him I need to reschedule. I’ll call you if I need you to move my deposition, or cancel it

“Where are you going?” she enquired curiously.

“Hospital. Family emergency,” he mutters curtly.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yes. And, send Rose to the hearing, it’s only that motion to suppress,” he added as he grabbed his coat. Gia rolled her eyes before following him out the door.

“And, she’s only arguing against Katherine Pierce,” she retorted, rolling her eyes. Elijah glared at her unimpressed.

“Rose is perfectly qualified. After all, she is second chair,” he informed her, completely deadpan.

“Fine. All I’m saying is that this is Katherine Pierce we’re talking about. And, Rose-” she started to argue, but he stopped her, not in the mood.

“Gia! I greatly appreciate your services, and sometimes your unwarranted advice, but now is really not the time. Rose is second chair and is going to that hearing. End of story. Please leave the lawyering to the lawyers!” he snapped coldly, and he noticed Gia flinch. Not giving her a chance to say anything else, he rushed to the elevators, aware that likely everyone had heard the exchange.

* * *

He drove to the hospital, his mind spinning as he tried to get there as fast as he can, though the universe seemed to work against him because it took him twice as long as it should have. He immediately rushed to the ER, coming to a halt in front of the nurse’s station.

“Mikael Mikaelson?” he demanded breathlessly, gripping the desk tightly.

“Who are you?” the kind-looking nurse asked softly, not at all impressed by his attempt to sound authoritative.

“His son,” he grunted.

“Right,” she muttered, starting to type into her computer.

“Elijah?” A voice called behind him, and he whipped around to find Elena Gilbert, soon-to-be Salvatore, standing in front of him.

“Elena,” he muttered, stepping towards her. “What?” he added dazedly.

“It’s about your father. I mean, that’s why you’re here, right?” she asked breathlessly.

“Yeah,” he nodded.

“Oh. Right. Um, your father was brought into the ER and sustained multiple crush injuries from the collision, he had massive internal bleeding, and a brain hemorrhage…” she started telling him, but her words merely washed over him as she led him away. “Elijah?” she suddenly turned to him in concern.

“Yeah?”

“Are you- um, he was rushed to surgery, and Dr. Malraux is in there, and I was just sent to see if there was family to inform, so…” she trailed off with a sigh. “I’m really sorry,” she added empathically.

“Thank you,” he murmured just as they arrived at the waiting room.

“I have to go back in. Take care,” she said, and he nodded, numbly. He sunk into the waiting room chair and waited. At some point, his phone started going off, but he merely switched it off. His mind drifted to his latest encounter with Mikael, but he shook his head at how unpleasant it was. Then, finally, after what seemed like forever, Elena reemerged along with a dark-skinned doctor.

“Mr. Mikaelson?” Elena asked professionally, her eyes searching for him though she’d just seen him. He stood up, and moved towards the two doctors.

“Hello. I’m Dr. Malraux. I was your father’s surgeon,” the dark-skinned doctor informed him, her face devoid of emotion, her voice calm and collected. [He reckoned it’s a doctor’s thing, but it did little to calm him, and his stomach only churned nervously]. He curled his fingers into fists, and took a deep breath, bracing himself.

“Your father sustained multiple crush injuries and had massive internal bleeding. We were able to stop it, and repair his spleen, but then he coded on the table. We found out he had also thrown a massive clot. And, his brain injury was also catastrophic-” he cut her off, already feeling sick.

“Just say it, please.”

“I’m so sorry, sir. He didn’t make it. We tried to resuscitate, but couldn’t bring him back,” she finally said, and for a second it felt like the world had stopped, but his head was still spinning and his knees felt like Jell-O.

“Elijah-” Elena cut in, moving in his direction, but he stopped her.

“I’m fine, thank you, Elena,” he murmured he struggled to get a grip. “May I, uh… may I see him?” he asked, and the two doctors nod.

“Dr. Gilbert, why don’t you take Mr. Mikaelson to see his father and I’ll go update the chart,” Dr. Malraux said stiffly.

“Of course,” Elena nodded graciously.

As she led him to the operating room, neither of them said anything, and Elijah was grateful.

“I really am sorry, Elijah,” she murmured softly.

“Thank you, Elena. I’m just shocked to be honest with you. Truthfully, I wasn’t a fan of Mikael’s,” he admitted, and she nodded, vaguely familiar with his tumultuous family history. “But, please don’t call Caroline with the news. I’m already bracing myself for this evening when she’ll grill me,” he added, and Elena can’t help but snort.

“Of course. I know, Caroline can be a lot. But, she truly cares.”

“Yes, she does,” he muttered just as they stopped in front of the O. R. in question.

* * *

Elijah returned to his office much later than he had anticipated, and when he glanced at his watch, he discovered in horror that it was past 5:00pm, and realized that he should have gone to pick Angie up. He turned around to go back down the elevators, but was stopped by Gia.

“Hi, Elijah, it’s good to see you,” she greeted him, smiling, though her smile was very obviously forced, and he shuddered. “If you’re planning on going anywhere, don’t. Angie is waiting in your office; I went to pick her up. I also moved your deposition to tomorrow. And, your lunch meeting. Figured you wouldn’t make it. And, I got you a coffee,” she informed him, her voice saccharine before handing him a coffee from his favorite coffee shop along with two paper bags. “The cookie is for Angie. The sandwich is for you.”

“Err, thank you,” he smiled graciously. Gia nodded, and began moving in the direction of her desk.

“Just doing my _assistant’s_ job,” she quipped sarcastically. Elijah sighed.

“Gia,” he said softly. “Please, forgive me. I shouldn’t have spoken to you the way I did. I was upset, and the anger I harbored for my father resurfaced. It was uncalled for, and I am sorry,” he told her sincerely. The brunette smiled.

“Apology accepted,” she replied. “You’ll also be pleased to know Rose won her motion,” she added, smirking.

“Wonderful. We can work more tomorrow, and the trial is on Thursday,” he smiled, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Great. I’ll add that to your calendar,” she agreed before strutting back to her desk, her dark curls bouncing. Elijah turned to head into his office when Gia stopped in her tracks, and turned to him.

“And Mikael?” she asked, having caught his earlier words. He sighed, and his shoulders slumped. _There’s no getting around Gia,_ he tells himself. He shook his head. Gia’s face dropped sadly.

“I’m so sorry,” she said softly. “Do you- is there anything I can do?” she asked.

“Yes. Call his office, have them release a statement tomorrow. Don’t tell anyone else though, alright? Oh, and tell Rose to drop by.”

“Of course,” she smiled comfortingly, and he nodded before entering his office and was almost knocked down by a hug.

Elijah just managed to close the door before Angelina jumped into his arms, screaming, “daddy!” as she threw her arms around him.

“Hello, my sweetheart!” he greeted her, his mood entirely turned around as he wrapped one arm around her, the other holding the coffee and treats. Angelina squeezed him tightly for a few more seconds before finally untangling herself from him.

“Hi,” she beamed at him, and planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek.

“Hello,” he grinned. “And, what are you doing here?”

“Miss Gia came and picked me up!” she exclaimed cheerfully. “And, we had lunch at the diner!”

“Did she now? That’s nice of her,” he smiled. [He resolved to get Gia a nice gift for her upcoming birthday]. “She told me you’ve been a good girl, so here’s a treat,” he handed his daughter the cookie, and left out the fact that Gia had been the one to get it. [He was sure Gia had gotten it for him to give to Angie. The woman was a saint]. Angie’s expression immediately became one of delight.

“My totally favorite kind!” she exclaimed excitedly, and followed him to the sitting area at the other end of his office. [One table, a couch, and an armchair with several throw pillows]. He sat down on the couch, and she sat beside him, both of them tucking in.

“So, Ange, how was school?” he asked her.

“It was great! I had the bestest time and played with my friends. We sang, and painted, and read! And, Miss Sophie said we can bring our favorite toy to show tomorrow!” she rushes out excitedly as she munched on her cookie.

“Oh, really?” he quipped, smiling softly. “That sounds so great, Ange,” he says before planting a soft kiss on top of her head.

“And then, at daycare we did crafts!” she added, grinning widely. “And, played some more,” she added.

“So, you’ve had a busy day, right Ange?”

“Yes! But, it was also so awesome!” she exclaimed. “You want some, daddy?” she asked, handing him a piece of her cookie. Elijah smiled fondly.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” he said as he took it gratefully, popping it into his mouth.

Elijah glanced at his watch to find it was almost 6:00pm. [Usually, Caroline would pick her up when her daycare finished, but if Caroline was busy, he did. Or, Gia did, hence why he’d put his assistant on the pick-up list]. He still had a lot more work to do, but he coulf work from home, so he and Angie could head home at 6:15pm]. “Sweetheart, why don’t you spend some time drawing while daddy finishes off work. Then, we can go home,” he told her. “I’ll tell Miss Gia to get you some colored pencils and paper, okay?”

“Yes! I love drawing!” she said cheerfully.

He opened his mouth to call for her, but his assistant appeared just then, as if she’d read his mind.

“Could you please get Angie here some colored pencils? I need to finish some things before we head home,” he requested, and Gia nodded, smiling.

“Of course. Miss Angie, I’ve got some colored pencils, why don’t we go get them? And, then we can go play with the copy machine,” Gia suggested, extending her hand to his daughter. Angie nodded.

“That sounds so awesome, Miss Gia!” she exclaimed, and stood up, taking the woman’s hand.

Elijah smiled as the two of them left his office and returned to his case file, and texted Caroline to let her know Angie was with him. She texted back to ask what would he do without Gia. Elijah snorted. Seconds later, the door opened, and he was about to enquire if they’d returned so quickly, but he found Rose standing in his doorway. Her spiky pixie cut was the only unpolished thing about her appearance, and she held a folder in her hand.

“Elijah. You wanted to see me?” she enquired.

“I did. I wanted to congratulate you on that suppression hearing. I know it may seem like not that big of a deal, but it is important for our case. And, from what I heard you handled it fantastically,” he smiled at her.

“Thank you. Gia told me we’ll be working through the trial tomorrow. I’ll stay longer tonight to finish the brief, I saw Angelina was here,” she smiled back. He nodded.

“How was Katherine?” he enquired.

“Absolutely dreadful. But, thankfully the judge didn’t fall for it and ruled with us,” she replied, frowning slightly.

“That’s good. Katherine will be even more dreadful, but we just have to focus on winning the case,” he sighed.

“Of course. I’ll see you tomorrow?” she turned slightly towards the door.

“Yes. See you,” he replied absentmindedly before returning to the case in front of him.

After highlighting the important aspects of the case and getting started on a strategy, Elijah finally glanced at his watch to find it was now nearly 6:20pm. [Caroline would probably kill him to hear he’d kept Angie so long at his office, but he didn’t really have a choice]. Just then, Gia and a smiling Angie reentered.

“Hi, daddy!” the small girl smiled at him.

“Hi, Ange. Ready to go home, sweetheart?”

“Yes! I had an awesome time with Miss Gia!” she replied cheerfully, and Gia winked at him.

“That’s wonderful, baby. Why don’t you get your things and we can head home?” he suggested, standing up as well and putting his files in his briefcase before grabbing his coat. Angie nodded and went to gather her backpack before he helped her with her coat and beanie. She smiled at him, and grabbed his hand.

Gia followed them out, and Elijah locked the door for the night before turning to his assistant as his daughter skipped to the elevators.

“Thank you for today, Gia,” he told her, and she smiled. “Would you like me to drop you off home?”

Gia shook her head, “oh, no, thanks. I’m good. I’ve got… something tonight.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “A date?” he asked. The brunette woman smiled bashfully, and tucked her hair behind her ear.

“Well, uh, sort of…” she trailed off and bit her lip.

“Good. I’m glad. Enjoy yourself,” he smiled. “Goodnight, Gia!” he called as he walked to the elevators, and took his daughter’s hand. The two of them descended into the parking lot, and Elijah buckled her into her car seat.

* * *

The drive home was marked by light chatter from Angie along with music she selected from his phone. Sometimes, it was really no wonder Angie was Caroline’s daughter, especially when she rambled about some topic or other like this. Elijah found it endearing, although when Caroline did it, he found it less so. They arrived at small, modern house they all lived in, and were greeted by their golden lab, Buttercup. After spending an appropriate amount of time petting Buttercup, Elijah sent Angie to wash her hands and change into more comfortable clothes while he got started on dinner, Buttercup lounging on the kitchen floor. He only dropped his briefcase by the door, and took off his tie and suit jacket, rolling up his sleeves before he looked through the fridge. There was salmon and vegetables, and he decided to bake the salmon and boil the vegetables while they waited for Caroline to arrive. The blonde in question texted him sometime around seven that she was on her way home and he filled to glasses with red wine before setting the table for three. Angie bounded into the room, and settled in front of the TV, with Buttercup joining her while he pulled out his phone to make a call, profiting of the fact that his daughter was distracted, the vegetables were ready, and the salmon was almost ready.

Firstly, he dialed a number he used to dial fairly often, though he’d never managed to reach the person he was calling. Unsurprisingly, this time wasn’t any different, and he rolled his eyes. He scrolled to the next number. Finn. Calling his older brother wasn’t his favorite idea, and he doubted the man would actually answer. Surprisingly, he did.

“Elijah,” Finn’s cold voice greeted him on the other end.

“Finn, hello,” he greeted, clearing his throat.

“Evening to you, too,” the other man replied stiffly. Elijah rolled his eyes. _So, this is how it’s going to be,_ he thought.

“Uh, I was just calling because something has happened today. And, I thought- well, I should tell everyone,” he tried, not quite sure how he was about to tell his brother, whom he hadn’t spoken to in years, that their father had passed.

“Everyone? You mean the family? Oh, what did _he_ do this time?” Finn remarked, and Elijah could practically see him roll his eyes.

“Yes, I mean the family. The family should know that, uh-”

“Honestly, Elijah, if Mikael wants another family dinner, _you_ can tell him _I’m_ not interested. And, I doubt anyone else is either, so you can go, and kiss his ass!” Finn snapped, and Elijah groaned. [Kissing Mikael’s ass wasn’t high up on his to-do list, despite what many of his siblings probably thought].

“Finn! He’s dead,” he finally blurted, deciding to be direct. There was silence on the other end. “He got into a car crash. They rushed him into surgery, but he died on the table,” he added, his tone even. In the background, the TV was still buzzing, his daughter entirely entranced by the movie or cartoon she’d been watching.

“Oh. I see,” was Finn’s only reply. “Well, guess karma’s a bitch,” he added.

“Finn!” Elijah snapped. “The man _just_ died.” Finn didn’t say anything. “We’ll probably have a funeral. So, really, this call was to inform you of our fath- of Mikael’s passing, and ask that you come to the funeral,” he added gruffly. “There’s really no need to express your opinion, most of us hated him at one point.”

“Always with the lecture, Elijah. Well, I’m not interested. I’m good where I am, so thanks, but no thanks,” he snapped.

“Finn, this is a family matter. It is important, perhaps you could find a moment-” he started, but Finn cut him off.

“Told you, Elijah. I’m not going. Why should I care the asshole is dead?” his older brother snapped, and Elijah flinched. “Thanks for letting me know. This is _me_ letting _you_ know; I won’t be attending the funeral. Have love evening. Goodbye, Elijah.” And, with that, Finn hung up.

Elijah groaned just as the time went off, and he bent down to take the salmon out of the over before setting it all in one plate, which was right on time because the front door opened to reveal Caroline. Buttercup yapped happily, and Angie bounded out of the room.

“Mommy!” she screamed as she launched herself into her mother’s arms, Buttercup following close behind, yapping her tail excitedly.

“My sweet baby girl!” Caroline exclaimed happily, and he chuckled as Buttercup barked. He emerged from the kitchen to find Caroline being strangled by her mini-me while Buttercup wagged her tail. Finally, Caroline managed to untangle herself from her daughter, only for Buttercup to rush at her excitedly. A few seconds later, the blonde had also greeted the dog and shrugged off her coat, and went to freshen up. She entered the kitchen a few seconds later and looked around the room, appeased by the sight of the table and food.

“Hello, Caroline,” he greeted her, handing her the glass of wine.

“Hey,” she greeted, smiling at him as she took a sip. “Girl could get used to this,” she added, gesturing to the table before sitting down.

“You _have_ gotten used to this,” he rolled his eyes before taking a seat across from her. Unsurprisingly, Buttercup settled next to him, and he smiled at the dog.

“Well, I suppose I have. Almost seven years of marriage, and you’ve treated me well. I feel so blessed,” she quipped sarcastically, and he rolled his eyes.

“Well, can’t say I can complain, either. You’re not too bad yourself,” he retorted, smirking slightly, and Caroline giggled.

“I try. I promise, next time I’ll be the one waiting with food and wine, _honey,_ ” she countered, and he chuckled. “I’ll even wear an apron,” she added, and he rolled his eyes. Then, she turned her head to the hallway. “Angie, sweetie! Dinner’s ready, wash your hands, then come tell me all about your day!” Caroline called, and their daughter bounded minutes later, having washed her hands, and took a seat between them, smiling at both of them. Their daughter’s happy expression was gone as soon as she saw the food, and she frowned.

“Something wrong, Ange?” Elijah asked.

“I don’t like vegetables, daddy! You know that!” she pouted, and he sighed.

“Angel, baby, don’t start. Daddy obviously worked super-hard on this dinner. And, you know you’re supposed to eat all your veggies,” Caroline said, her voice firm and gentle at the same time.

“Please, sweetheart. Mommy’s right, I did work on this really hard,” he added.

“But, I don’t want them!” Angie snapped, pouting, and putting her head in her hands dramatically. Caroline groaned, and Elijah felt mildly guilty he’d given her the cookie, though he felt even more guilty to have not picked her up from daycare.

“Angel, please, you know how important it is to eat your veggies! You want to grow up to be smart and beautiful, right?” Caroline asked gently, reaching to help her daughter eat.

“They won’t help. If I want to be smart, all I have to do is go to school. And, I’m already beautiful just like you, so I’ll grow up to be just as beautiful as you are!” the small girl informed her mother, and the hidden compliment softened Caroline’s expression.

“I know, baby, I know. But, eating your veggies is also super important,” Caroline argued, and Elijah rolled his eyes. Sometimes, he wondered why the woman had gone into event planning, not law.

“Ange, why don’t you-” he cut in to diffuse the situation.

“I said I don’t want them!” the blonde girl whined, and he groaned. He could see Caroline’s patience wearing thin, too.

“Angelina Grace Mikaelson!” Caroline snapped firmly, though still keeping her voice even. “You’ll eat your vegetables right now, or I won’t let you watch something on the TV after dinner. No questions asked. And, you’ll apologize to daddy because he made dinner. Understood?” Angie nodded and wiped away her tears, sniffling slightly.

“I’m sorry, daddy,” she said sincerely.

“It’s alright, little angel. Just eat your food,” he told her, and she nodded, digging in without complaint. Caroline looked at him carefully, and he was sure she knew he’d given her a cookie, but she didn’t say anything.

“So, how was work?” the blonde asked, turning her attention to him.

“Fine,” he replied curtly. “Fairly busy. You?”

“Super busy. But, so great. I’m planning a baby shower, an awards dinner, an engagement party, and that office party of yours in December, so I’ve got a crazy schedule,” Caroline began before launching into a very detailed explanation of her day. Elijah only half listened, his mind still going over the phone call with Finn, but Caroline just kept going before Angie snapped her out of it.

“Mommy, do you wanna know what we did at school, today?” the little girl asked, and Caroline immediately turned to her. Then, Angie began a just as engaging account of her day, and Elijah occasionally added something, or other, listening intently along with Caroline. She stopped just as they had all finished their food and asked to go watch her princess movie.

“Sure, angel. But, bedtime’s in half an hour, okay?” Caroline kissed the top of her head.

“Thanks for dinner, daddy!” Angie said before rushing over to him. He scooped her up and hugged her, dropping a kiss on top of her head before the little ball of energy bounded to the living room, Buttercup following close behind. He and Caroline both went to change into more comfortable clothes before returning to the living room and kitchen area.

“I’ll tuck her in, will you let Buttercup out?” Caroline asked as she walked over to where Angie was engrossed in her movie.

“Sure,” he nodded.

“Angel, baby, it’s time for bed. We gotta get ready, then mommy will read you a story, kay?” Caroline asked her daughter sweetly as she picked her up before attacking her with kisses, and the little girl squealed happily, wrapping her own arms around Caroline. Elijah pressed a kiss to her forehead before turning to the dog.

“C’mon, Buttercup,” he called, walking over to the floor to ceiling window that led to the garden. The dog didn’t need to be told twice, and yapped happily as she followed him. While Caroline got Angie ready for bed, Elijah cleared the table and cleaned the dishes, storing the leftovers in a Tupperware container. He dropped by Angie to kiss her goodnight since it was Caroline’s turn to tuck her in, and returned to the living room to work a little, pouring himself a tumbler of something stronger than wine. Caroline reemerged several moments later, and grabbed her own glass of wine along with her bag.

“Uh oh. Switched to the bourbon. Something must have happened,” she immediately quipped as she settled into the armchair. When he didn’t answer, she set her things down, and turned to him. “Elijah? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he sighed, taking another long sip.

“It’s not nothing, obviously. Is it a case?” Caroline obviously didn’t let go, and Elijah sighed. He knew she would be like this, but he had hoped she might not notice his slightly aloof mood. Alas, she was Caroline and his wife of almost seven years; of course, she had noticed.

“You could say that…” he trailed off, hoping that maybe if he used his case as an excuse, she’d let go.

“It’s not. Obviously,” she scoffed. “When it’s a case, you do talk about it. So, what happened?”

Elijah sighed and took another gulp, swallowing, the liquid burning his throat. Caroline quirked an eyebrow, and stood up.

“It’s fine, Caroline, don’t worry,” he told her, and returned to his document.

“Bullshit, Elijah!” Caroline snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. Rolling his eyes, he sat up straighter, and faced his wife. “I know you, and I know when you’re lying, Elijah Mikaelson,” she remarked, pursing her lips. “And, I know you’re not telling me something now,” she added. Elijah didn’t say anything, and stayed silent. “Well?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” he shrugged, hoping to still avoid telling her. “I told you it’s a case.”

“No, it’s not. I know you when you’re dealing with a case, and this is not it. So, what are you keeping from me?”

“Nothing,” he said as he stood up to face her. [They rarely argued, except for stupid issues, and this was possibly the first time they were arguing about something this serious].

“Seriously? You’re going to pretend this is nothing? Come on, Elijah! What about what we promised?” she whisper-yelled so as not to wake Angie up. Elijah rolled his eyes.

“Those promises didn’t mean anything to me, or you, and you know it, Caroline,” he remarked, rolling his eyes.

Caroline scoffed, unimpressed. “I did not mean our vows. I meant, what we promised each other when we decided to this thing. To trust each other, and respect each other, and be honest with each other, Elijah. And, that’s all I’m asking for, honesty,” she told him, her expression serious. “You’re my best friend, Elijah. The only person I have here, and I’ve always trusted you. So. What. Happened?”

Elijah sighed, and took another sip of his drink before looking back to Caroline. “Mikael died,” he finally said simply, and exhaled.

“What?” Caroline exclaimed, a little too loudly, shock written all over her face.

“Shh, you’ll wake up, Angie,” he hissed. “Yes, Mikael died. Today. The hospital called because I’m listed as his emergency contact. He was taken into surgery, but died on the table,” he reported in monotone.

“Oh. Oh, Elijah, I’m so sorry,” she said softly before setting her glass down and throwing herself into his arms. He returned the embrace, wrapping his own arms around her and burying his face in her blonde hair as she rubbed his back comfortingly. They rested in the embrace for a few more seconds before pulling away, and Caroline looked at him in concern. “Are you okay?”

“Fine. I mean, it’s not like I was close to the man. I’m sure I disappointed him at some point,” he shrugged as he went to fill another glass. He refilled Caroline’s glass, handing it to her.

“Well, maybe not too much. I mean, you did become a fancy lawyer, marry a lovely, successful woman and had a daughter,” Caroline quipped sarcastically. He scoffed in response, rolling his eyes.

“Yes, well, went about that a little backwards, but it worked out in the end,” he smirked, and took a sip of his drink.

“Yeah, it kind of did…” she trailed off, smiling at him knowingly. His expression become guarded once more. “What is it?” she asked, unsurprisingly. [Caroline could read him as well as a book, which he found annoying at times, since he couldn’t hide anything from her].

“I just- my father is largely the reason behind the estrangement between all of my siblings. And, while I remained in touch with him, I could never forgive him,” he admitted, and took a long sip, the amber liquid burning his throat. Caroline nodded sadly. “I tried calling… Freya. But, she didn’t pick up, and I doubt she would if I were to do it again. I called Finn instead.”

“Oh?” Caroline perked up, plopping down on the couch beside him. “And, how was that?”

“Decidedly unpleasant. It seems Finn still harbors ill will towards Mikael,” he took another sip, and swallowed it quickly.

“Can you blame him?” Caroline remarked.

“Not really, though he could be less cruel. He said he couldn’t care less about Mikael, and that he isn’t coming to the funeral. So, I guess that’s one off the guest list,” he sighed.

“Elijah,” she whispered softly.

“It’s fine. I’m fine. Part of me had hoped that with time the rift in our family would heal. I guess not,” he confessed sadly.

“I’m sorry,” Caroline said quietly, resting her head on his shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around her, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head. They sat in silence, and Caroline reached to pet Buttercup. Eventually, they both pulled apart, and he returned to his case while Caroline pulled out her iPad and started working. They worked in silence for another hour before Caroline shivered, pulled her cardigan closer to her body and got up to close the door.

“Heading off to bed?” he enquired. She nodded.

“I work better in the morning anyways,” she smiled.

“That’s true. I’ll see you in the morning then?” he asked, and stood up, putting his things away.

“Night."

"Goodnight, Caroline."


	2. The One in Which Caroline is the Bearer of Bad News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a hectic morning, Caroline has to call Davina to tell her the news. Then, Davina involuntarily spills the news to Klaus.

Caroline Forbes-Mikaelson awoke early the next morning to an empty bed, and she sighed in relief, glad that Angie had had a quiet night and hadn’t come to sleep with her, which would have dragged Elijah in as well. Or, Elijah would have just made an excuse he was working. [If Angie was sleepy, she wouldn’t have cared, and would have snuggled into her side, her blonde girls tickling her lightly, her small hands reaching to grasp onto her]. With a sigh, the blonde got out of bed and stretched before glancing at her phone screen. 06:00, it read, which was early enough that Caroline would have time for some morning yoga. Quickly, she changed into her leggings, sports bra and tank top and piled her hair in a bun on top of her head, keeping it in place with an elastic before rolling her yoga mat in front of the large windows at one side of the master bedroom, the morning light flooding into the room as she stretched her body carefully, and emptied her mind, coiling her body into various positions while inhaling and exhaling softly. Eventually, she brought herself to a cross-legged position, her back ramrod straight, her hands in a Namaste sign. Several inhales and exhales later, her yoga session was over, and she rolled her mattress, settling it in the corner of the room.

After showering and getting dressed, she grabbed her bag and made her way downstairs where she was greeted by an eager Buttercup who wagged her tail, and she bent down slightly to pet the dog . The smell of coffee wafted from the kitchen, and she found Elijah with two mugs in hand, still wearing his running clothes.

“Hey,” she greeted him, grabbing the cup of coffee from him and holding onto it like it was her lifeline.

Elijah smiled softly in greeting, “good morning,” while sipping his own coffee, Buttercup yapping at his feet. Caroline settled herself at the kitchen island, opening her laptop and iPad simultaneously, along with her notebook, and fished out several markers and post-its from her bag. Elijah merely watched her amused.

“Had a good run?” she piped up as she began scrolling through her emails and typing up quick replies while jotting down notes in her notebook and updating her planning app.

“Yes, I did, thank you. Let Buttercup out, too,” he informed her, and she nodded. She’d pinned her lose curls in a loose messy bun, leaving a few curls in the front and put on a classy burgundy leather pencil skirt paired with a black silk shirt that complimented her slim figure, and was both professional and chic, and perfect for a day of meetings. Her phone pinged with a message, and she grabbed it while Elijah watched, amused. When he realized that she was engrossed in her work, he nodded.

“I’ll just go shower,” he muttered before setting his empty cup in the sink.

“Yup,” she murmured absentmindedly, her fingers hovering over the keyboard as she thought of a response to type to April’s very much stupid question. She was sure her assistant’s days were numbered.

Minutes later, Elijah reemerged clad in a suit, and found her in a similar position, and settled at the kitchen island beside her.

“Caroline?” he prompted when she didn’t exactly take note of his presence.

“Uh, yes?” she asked, breathlessly, and looked up.

“I’ll leave the funeral stuff to you?”

“Yes,” she nodded, still typing furiously on her iPad.

“I’ll need your help getting in touch with some of my family members,” he continued, but she was only half-listening. [It wasn’t really Elijah’s fault; it was a simple scheduling mistake on April’s part that left Caroline planning several events at once]. “Caroline!” he snapped, and she looked up immediately to find Elijah looking at her in concern. “Are you sure you’re all right?” he asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

“Yeah, yes, I’m fine. I’m fine. Sorry. I was just- stupid April messed up the scheduling date. And, I’m pretty sure Aurora and Tristan du Martel are the worst clients ever,” she sighed, tucking a stray curl behind her ear.

“I thought the honor was reserved for the Correras?” Elijah quipped, raising an eyebrow, and Caroline snorted in response recalling planning the wedding of one of the Correra brothers while Francesca Correra and Elijah were involved in a case.

“Oh, yes! The Correras are pure evil, but the du Martels are both evil and lunatic!” Elijah simply quirked an incredulous eyebrow at her. “I’m serious, Elijah, Aurora du Martel is absolutely insane! And, she’s getting engaged to Lucien Castle- which, trust me is not because she suddenly thinks the guy is charming, but because of the money. Or, because Tristan told her to. And, now I’m the one who has to plan her wedding,” she complained, causing Elijah to chuckle in amusement. “Don’t laugh, it’s not funny!” she snapped, attempting to seem mad, but she didn’t exactly succeed, and Elijah only seemed more amused.

“Sure it’s not,” he quipped, rolling his eyes. “It seems to me, you’re underestimating your skills, _darling_ ,” he added, smirking slightly. She merely rolled her eyes and scoffed.

“And, what skills would those be?” she asked, glancing at him. Elijah tilted his head, and winked, and the blonde stared back, a small smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. They stared at each other for several long seconds before Elijah burst into laughter while she glared.

“Elijah!” she exclaimed, pursing her lips. “Did you just suggest I flirt with Aurora to get her to not be a pain in my ass?” she half-asked, half-exclaimed, appalled.

“Well, I was mostly thinking about her brother, but I suppose-” he shrugged, but she cut him off.

“Elijah Mikaelson!” she snapped, incredulous. Elijah merely snorted. “You, you-” she began, but he cut her off.

“Relax, Caroline, please,” he sighed before standing up and going over to the stove to start making breakfast, having taken off his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves. “I was merely trying to get you to relax,” he added, rolling his eyes.

“Oh! So you weren’t suggesting anything?” she retorted, swatting his shoulder. Elijah nodded. “Uh uh. Says the guy who has historically been known to have a stick so far up his ass-” she retorted, but was interrupted by Elijah.

“Caroline!” he snapped, and she chuckled, rolling her eyes.

“Relax.”

“You relax,” he retorted.

Buttercup yapped, and as if on cue, the sound of feet hitting the stairs and yells for ‘mommy’ and ‘daddy’ snapped both their attentions to the stairs. Caroline dropped down just in time as a pajama-clad Angie launched herself into her arms, wrapping her arms around her. Caroline caught her daughter easily, and wrapped her own arms around her before peppering her with kisses “Good morning, sweetheart!” she exclaimed, nuzzling her daughter’s cheek as her mini-me burrowed herself in her arms. Several minutes later, Angie pulled away only to look up at her father, and Elijah picked her up easily, exchanging his own greeting with their daughter. Once Elijah set her back down, Caroline stood up.

“Good morning, mon petit ange,” Elijah said softly, pressing a kiss to the top of Angie’s head while Caroline regarded the two fondly. [Sometimes, she considered what life she might have led if she and Tyler had stayed together after college and raised Angie together. Sure, Tyler had been her first love, and maybe down the line they would have had more kids and lived in a nice house. But, every time she watched Elijah with Angie she was reminded that her daughter would miss one main thing, a loving and attentive father and she didn’t regret her choice to marry him. And, sometimes she was jealous of her friend Elena and her fiancé Damon, and the passion and love they shared, but Elijah was her best friend, and he was kind and thoughtful to her, and even though there were no romantic feelings, there was love, and respect, and they had Angie. And, Angie was worth everything].

“Good morning, daddy!” Angie exclaimed cheerfully.

“Did you sleep well?” she asked, caressing her daughter’s soft, blonde hair.

“I did!” Angie greened. “I dreamed I had a unicorn! Daddy, can I get a unicorn for Christmas?”

“Sure, sweetheart,” Elijah said, his expression deadly serious.

“Yay!” Angie exclaimed in delight.

Elijah glanced at her, and snorted, amused, and Caroline let out a soft giggle. “Now, why don’t you go upstairs and get ready with mommy while daddy makes breakfast?” he asked her, and she nodded, beaming.

“Sure, daddy!”

Then, she took Caroline’s extended hand, and the two of them made their way upstairs. “Don’t forget, mommy, I have to choose a dolly to take to school!” she exclaimed as she skipped to her room.

“Sure, sweetie. I’ll come by, and we’ll choose one. Now, why don’t you go wash up while mommy grabs a few things,” she told her, nudging her daughter in the direction of the bathroom.

“Yes, mommy!” Angie said as she rushed towards the bathroom while Caroline reentered her bedroom. She grabbed her jewelry from the dresser, including her rings, her burgundy coat from the closet with a matching scarf, and shoved her feet in her black high heels before reemerging and heading in the direction of Angie’s room. Angie was already there, waiting expectantly for her.

“Hmm, little angel, what should we choose today?” Caroline asked cheerfully as she and Angie stood in front of Angie’s closet. Angie hummed, a thoughtful look on her face before she reached to grab a burgundy colored dress, tagged _Tuesday_. “Great choice, sweetie!” Caroline cheered. “Now, go put it on with these tights,” she told her, handing her a pair of black tights and clean underwear. As Angie dressed herself, Caroline checked her daughter’s bag to make sure she had everything.

“Mommy, I’m done!” Angie exclaimed, a proud look on her face.

“Good job, Angel baby,” she said as Angie took a seat in front of the miniature vanity mirror she had gotten for Christmas the year before. Caroline grabbed her hairbrush and began brushing her daughter’s curls methodically until they were in lose waves, and fit a burgundy headband with a bow to keep away any flyways.

“Thank you, mommy!” Angie said cheerfully and stood up.

“Caroline! Angie!” Elijah yelled from downstairs. “Breakfast is ready and we have to leave in fifteen minutes!”

“Coming!” she yelled. “Come on, Angie, we gotta go,” she said, grabbing her daughter’s backpack and coat, and reaching for the six-year-old’s hand.

“No, mommy, we can’t!” Angie pouted dramatically as she stood in the middle of her room.

“Well, why not?” Caroline asked, turning to face her daughter.

“Because I gots to pick my dolly, mommy! I told you it’s for show and tell!” she wailed. Caroline sighed.

“Yeah, I know, sweetie, but you gotta be quick because we have to go. You have to go to school and mommy and daddy have to go to work. So, please, pick the doll you want to take to school, and let’s go,” Caroline said, a hint of exasperation in her voice.

“But, mommy,” Angie pouted petulantly, “I don’t know which one I wants! I like all of them!” she wailed.

“Caroline!” Elijah bellowed louder from downstairs, and Buttercup barked. Caroline herself was losing her patience.

“Look, sweetie, I know you love all your dolls, but you have to pick just one. C’mon just pick one, and we can go,” Caroline attempted to sound encouraging, but really she just sounded annoyed.

“But, I can’t!” Angie wailed, and Caroline heard footsteps echoing. It was probably Elijah, coming up the stairs to see what was taking them so long.

“Yes, you can. I know you have loads of dolls, but I’m sure you can pick a favorite!” Caroline countered, half-yelling.

“I have sooo many favorites!” her daughter moaned, pouting dramatically. “I can’t just pick one!”

“Angelina Grace Mikaelson-” she began loudly, but was cut off by Elijah entering the room.

“What’s wrong, girls?” he asked calmly, and Caroline couldn’t help but roll her eyes at his calm, collected tone.

“Mommy wants me to pick a dolly to take to school for show and tell, but I can’t!” the six-year-old cried, pouting, and Caroline could see she was about to have a full-blown tantrum. The blonde scoffed, running a hand through her hair.

“Caroline, why don’t you wait for us downstairs. We’re going to see about that doll,” Elijah said, scooping Angie into his arms, pressing soft kisses to her blonde curls. Their daughter clung to him, her small blue eyes glaring at Caroline. With a sigh, she turned around and left the room, leaving father and daughter behind her, and walked down the stairs. It smelled of freshly-made omelet in the kitchen, and Caroline grabbed some, heaping it onto her plate before plopping down on the barstool. Seconds later, Elijah reemerged, Angie in tow, and her daughter was smiling brightly while holding her favorite bunny she’s had since she was born.

“I’m sorry, mommy,” the six-year-old said, planting a kiss onto Caroline’s cheek before sitting down beside her while Elijah grabbed orange juice and omelet. They rushed through breakfast, bid Buttercup goodbye, and left.

After dropping off Angie at school, Elijah drove to her office before he would drive to his since her car was being fixed.

“Will you pick Angie up today?” he asked. She’d been in the middle of writing an email, and she looked up to find him glancing over at her.

“Uh, yeah, if I have time. I don’t know, maybe…” she shrugged trailing off as her fingers continued to type away.

“Right,” he nodded.

“Are you gonna be free to do it?” she asked, biting her lip. [She and Elijah usually took turns with picking up Angie, but with their jobs that was sometimes nearly impossible. And, Caroline couldn’t even complain about Elijah since every time she needed him to, he always took care of Angie].

“Perhaps. I might,” he sighed. “You know I have a hearing today, and trial starts tomorrow. Plus everything going on with… the family and everything. I don’t know- I- I have to reach out to Rebekah and Freya. I might go see Freya,” he told her absentmindedly, eyes still on the road.

“Right. Yeah. I’ll, uh, I’ll call Davina today, and don’t worry about funeral arrangements,” she said, still typing furiously on her phone.

“Thank you. Anyways, if I don’t manage, Gia will pick her up and keep her entertained until I get to the office, don’t worry,” he remarked, and she couldn’t help but chuckle.

“You should really give that woman a raise,” she quipped, and he snorted in response. Her phone began ringing. It was April. “Yes, April?” she snapped into the receiver.

* * *

Caroline arrived at the office at a quarter past nine, and April was already waiting for her, a stack of magazines in her hand and two coffee cups.

“Caroline!” the younger girl greeted her cheerfully.

“Thank you, April,” she said, taking one of the coffee cups. “So, what’s on the schedule?” she asked as they began to walk towards her office.

April babbled on as they walked, but Caroline was only half-listening.

“April!” she snapped, spinning around quickly, causing her assistant to almost fall down if it hadn’t been for the wall.

“Yes?”

“When and what is my next meeting?” she asked with an impatient huff.

“In half an hour. With a Jane-Anne Deveraux for the awards dinner over at St. Catherine Memorial Hospital,” April informed her after consulting her iPad.

“Right. Thank you. See, April, it’s not that hard?” she said tensely before walking into her office. “Also, send Josh in when he has time!” she called out as she fired up her laptop. Before Jane-Anne showed up, Caroline went through her remaining emails, checked her calendar and caught up on a few tasks left over from that morning.

“Anything I can get for you?” April asked after she led Jane-Ann into her office, flashing Caroline a nervous smile.

“Just water for me, thanks,” Jane-Anne said softly.

“I’m good, thanks, April,” the blonde muttered absentmindedly. Her assistant left the office, and Caroline turned her attention to the young woman in front of her. “So, let’s start step by step, shall we?” she said, and began explaining to Jane-Anne all the steps they would take, then asked Jane-Anne about guests and venue ideas.

April returned a few minutes after she had left with two glasses of water and sat them down on Caroline’s glass desk. “Thanks,” the blonde muttered softly.

“Is that- I’m sorry, this might be weird asking, it’s just- is that your daughter?” Jane-Anne asked suddenly, pointing to one of the many framed photos adorning Caroline’s desk. The one in question was of a smiling Angie being held up by Caroline and Elijah, one arm on each of their shoulders, her blonde curls wildly framing her face like a halo.

Caroline laughed, “yeah, that’s… that’s my daughter. Angelina Grace,” she replied, smiling fondly. “Do you have any kids?”

“Yeah, a daughter. Monique. She’s seventeen,” the other woman told her, smiling genuinely for the first time as she pulled out her phone and opened it to show her lock screen photo. It was a photo of herself and a young woman who looked very much like her, but with curly dark hair, and slightly olive skin.

“Oh, she looks so gorgeous! You two seem really close,” Caroline commented, smiling widely. She liked establishing a connection, trust with her clients, liked getting to know them, especially because it sometimes proved helpful.

“We are. I had her really young, but I don’t regret it at all. She wants to become a doctor,” Jane-Anne told her, smiling proudly. “She’s all busy applying to schools all over the country,” she added.

“Well, that’s lovely!” the blonde beamed. “You’re a doctor, too, right?”

“Nurse, actually,” Jane-Anne admitted, and Caroline’s eyes widened. “Oh, yeah, I’m a nurse and helping plan an awards event. I know what you must be thinking,” the other woman sighed, her face flushed.

“What must I be thinking?” Caroline quipped.

“I’m not sleeping with the Chief of the hospital or anything like that. God, no. Plus, I’m not really his type. Chief’s secretary went on maternity leave, and he’s an old friend, so I said I’d help out,” she explained, and Caroline nodded in shocked understanding. “I did want to become a doctor, but I figured it was impossible when I got pregnant with Monique, so I became an RN instead.”

“Oh. Right, sorry. Yeah, I understand what it’s like. I was pretty young when I got pregnant with Angie, too, a junior in college actually, so I had to change my career plan. But, I don’t regret it at all,” she grinned.

“But, you’re married, right?” Jane-Anne’s gaze was on her hand obviously.

“Yeah, yeah I’m married to Angie’s dad. We married after I found out about the pregnancy. And, Elijah’s really supportive, but I figured that I wanted to be there for my daughter, and event planning allows for a lot more flexibility,” she said defensively, smiling sweetly at the woman.

“Right, yes, of course,” Jane-Anne nodded awkwardly. “Not all guys are dicks, right?”

Caroline chuckled, “nope. Elijah’s a saint, really, though they’re close to becoming extinct.” Jane-Anne laughed, amused.

“Can’t say the same about Monique’s dad. Anyways, it doesn’t really matter anymore because I kind of love my job, so,” she shrugged.

“Then, why don’t you leave the event planning to me, so you can go and do your job? I’ll call if I need anything,” Caroline told her after glancing at the clock, noticing her other meeting would be soon. Besides, it wasn’t like they were talking about something important.

“Oh, right, yes! Of course, yeah… thank you, that really means a lot. Thank you!” Jane-Anne smiled, relieved, as she got up.

“Of course, no problem,” Caroline smiled back as she stood along with her, following her to the door. They exchanged pleasantries before the blonde opened the door, and Jane-Anne left after shaking her hand.

With Jane-Anne thankfully gone, Caroline returned to her desk. Minutes later, the door to her office opened, and she looked up to find Josh entering.

“Uh, hey, April said you needed to speak to me?” he asked, shuffling his feet, hands in his pocket.

“Hey, Josh,” she greeted him with a delighted smile. “Yeah. Two things, actually. One, I need you to do the photos for Eva St. Clair’s baby shower,” she informed him, earning a groan from Josh. “Don’t start, Josh, please,” she said quickly as Josh opened his mouth.

“Just sayin’ she’s evil,” Josh muttered sheepishly. Caroline just rolled her eyes.

“And, I also need a personal favor,” she said, causing Josh to perk up. “Do you have Davina’s contacts?”

“Davina as in Davina Claire?”

“Yeah. I need to tell her something. It’s something of a family matter,” she explained with a shrug.

“I see. Um, err, right. Sure. Here’s Davina’s number,” he said, pulling out his phone. She scribbled it down quickly. “You wanna tell me what’s going on? All well in Mikaelson-land?” Josh wondered.

“Yeah, uh… Mikael died. Car accident, died in surgery. Anyways, Elijah and I now have to deal with telling all his siblings with whom he hasn’t spoken to in years that their father died. Plus, planning a funeral,” she sighed, and tucked a stray blonde curl behind her ear.

“Oh,” Josh looked surprised. “Sorry about that. Except, you know, I’m not really sorry cause I always thought the guy was a jerk,” he shrugged.

“You and me both, Josh, but not like I have a choice. It’s family,” she sighed. Josh nodded, the atmosphere a little awkward.

“Anyways,” Josh drawled. “I guess I’ll see you later, Care? Lunch?”

“Sure!” she grinned. “Yes, lunch. Definitely. I’ll see you,” she agreed, smiling at him. Josh nodded and turned around, exiting her office, shutting the door behind him. Caroline sighed, and dialed the number she’d scribbled.

* * *

Davina Claire was walking after she’d shown a client some of the works they had exposed, and discussed a possible art show for the next month. She’d be meeting Kol for lunch at a small café nearby the UIC campus, so she was just going to gather a few things and get through a few emails before going to meet him. Her phone rang, and she pulled it out of her jeans pocket, seeing an unknown caller ID.

“Hello?” she asked, slightly apprehensive.

“Is this Davina Claire?” a woman’s soft voice greeted her on the other end of the line.

“Yeah, uh, this is her,” she answered, her heart hammering in her chest.

“Hello, my name is Caroline Forbes Mikaelson,” the woman – Caroline – said softly.

“Mikaelson?” Davina wondered, still in shock.

“Yes. I’m Elijah Mikaelson’s wife,” Caroline explained confidently. _Elijah? Elijah was married?_ [It had been years since Davina, or Kol for that matter, had spoken to Elijah. Really, any of Kol’s siblings. The only one they still sort of spoke to was Klaus, and that was because Klaus, like herself, was an artist. He often showcased his works at her gallery, so they had a sort of business relationship. Plus, it was mainly Davina who kept in touch with Klaus, since Kol and Klaus had never really been close]. “Davina? You still there?” Caroline asked, and Davina realized there had been a long pause.

“Yeah- yes, I’m here. Sorry, I was just- I was just a little shocked,” she answered nervously.

“Of course. Look, Davina, I know that you and I haven’t met, and I know you and Kol aren’t very close to Elijah, but I do have a reason for calling you,” Caroline said in a rush.

“Well, of course,” Davina scoffed. “Of course you need something. What is it?” she snapped, not surprised that the only reason Elijah Mikaelson and his wife gave a damn about her and Kol was because they needed something. She rolled her eyes.

“Well, uh, yes,” Caroline sounded nervous for the first time now. “I need to tell you something,” Caroline said, and took a deep breath.

“Well, what is it?”

“It’s- Mikael Mikaelson died in a car crash yesterday,” Caroline finally said, and Davina gasped in shock.

“Mikael Mikaelson? As in Kol’s father?” she managed to say as she stood still in the middle of her art gallery.

“Yes. He was rushed to the hospital, but died during surgery. I’m really sorry, Davina. So, we’re planning the funeral, and we hope you and Kol can come,” the other woman said sadly.

“Oh. Oh. Right. Of course, of course we will. I- I’m sorry, Caroline,” she managed to say, still in shock. She felt tears prickle at her eyes, though she wasn’t particularly sad about the news, at least not in a personal way.

“Thank you. And, I’m sorry you had to- that we had to meet under such circumstances,” Caroline said graciously. Davina nodded, though the other woman couldn’t see her.

“Yeah,” she sniffled slightly, and reached to wipe away at her eyes. “Me too. Thank you for calling though,” she mustered up a more even voice.

“Of course. Well, I guess we’ll see each other.”

“Yeah, see you. Send me the details about the funeral, okay?”

“Sure, bye, Davina. And, I’m sorry once again.”

“Bye. I’m sorry, too,” she said and hung up.

She continued to stand in the middle of the gallery, taking long, deep breaths as she tried to calm herself though she was still in shock.

“Hello, love,” an all-too-familiar voice said, and the brunette stumbled, caught off guard. Klaus caught her arm, preventing her from toppling to the floor in the too-high black stilettos she was wearing. He kept his hand curled around her arm as she steadied herself, a small smirk tugging on his lips.

“Klaus,” she huffed as she was faced with her brother-in-law. [She’d been hoping to tell Kol first, had decided she would tell Kol that evening, or during the lunch and call Klaus later, but apparently Klaus had decided to drop by the gallery. Klaus was the only one of the Mikaelson clan Davina really communicated with because they worked together in a sense. Klaus showcased his paintings at her gallery, and he often came to her own art shows. But, that didn’t mean that she was going to tell _Klaus_ the news before she told her _husband_ ]. “What are you doing here?” she wondered, a little out of breath.

“Oh, just wanted to drop by. See what my sister in law was up to,” he shrugged noncommittally. The brunette just raised an eyebrow.

“Klaus, you never just drop by. I told you, we don’t have any openings next month, we’re all booked. You’re not the only artist to showcase here,” she half-scoffed, rolling her eyes.

“Who said I wanted to be showcased here? You know, you’re not the only one with a gallery, love,” he retorted. Davina flashed him a look. “Right, well anyways. No matter. I was just in the neighborhood,” he shrugged, looking a little dejected.

“Fine, we can go to my office and see if there are any openings the month after,” she sighed. They made small talk as they walked to her office, and sat down at her desk while she pulled out her calendar.

“What’s wrong, love?” Klaus asked suddenly, his eyebrows furrowed.

“What do you mean?” she asked, widening her eyes like she didn’t know what he was talking about. She did have a sinking suspicion, but decided to pretend he hadn’t noticed her sad demeanor, or how she kept blinking.

“Oh, come on, Davina,” Klaus exclaimed. “Look, I’ve known you for a while now, and I’ve never seen you look like this. What happened?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said, turning her iPad to him so he could see the available booking slots. But, Klaus didn’t pay attention to the iPad, his gaze focused on her.

“Did Kol do something? Because, if he did-” he threatened, and the brunette immediately cut him off.

“No! No, Kol didn’t do anything. You know he would never hurt me,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Yes, I do. So, then what’s got you this upset?” he asked, not taking no for an answer. Davina felt like she was about to cry. “Oh, come on, love, what’s wrong?”

“I- it’s your father,” she finally stammered, unable to keep it any longer.

“My father? You mean Mikael?” Klaus wondered, clearly shocked. “What does he want?”

“He’s- he’s dead, actually,” she said.

“He’s dead?”

“Yeah. Uh, Caroline- that’s Elijah’s wife, called earlier to tell me. Car crash, he died in surgery,” she explained, her words a jumbled mess. She felt like she might burst into tears. Klaus just stared at her.

“Elijah’s wife?” he asked, shocked. He opened his mouth, then closed it.

“Yes!” she snapped quickly. “I just told you your father is dead, and all you get from this is that Elijah has a wife?”

“Well, yes,” Klaus managed to look sheepish. “Thought he’d be a bachelor forever, but I guess Saint Elijah is married now, probably with a house in the Garden District or a fancy apartment in the French Quarter,” Klaus grumbled.

“I have no idea,” Davina muttered. “And, that’s hardly important. The funeral is coming soon, so Caroline will send us details about that. I’m really sorry for your loss, Klaus,” she said more softly, reaching for him, but he flinched. “I know-”

“You know nothing!” Klaus snapped, enraged, and stood up quickly, nearly tossing his chair. He turned around and left, slamming the door to her office behind him. Davina groaned and put her head between her hands, letting out a deep shuddering breath. Her phone rang; it was Kol, and she picked it up, immediately feeling better.

* * *

Hayley Marshall slammed the brakes to her car, arriving at an abrupt stop in front of her and Klaus’ house. She parked, and rolled her eyes, imagining Klaus teasing her about her parking skills, then turned off the engine and exited her car, grabbing her things from the trunk. [She’d had a long day, and had to take most of her case files home with her, something she usually hated to do. She’d probably be working through the night, too, since she had a trial in the morning. Her day had been filled with arraignment hearings and the first day for a murder trial, but that was a day in the life of a public defender].

The porch light was on, and Hope’s pink bike was resting against the large oak tree that cast a shade on sunny days. She unlocked the front door, and was nearly knocked backwards by the eight-year-old hurtling herself into her arms. She caught her easily, and hugged her back, kissing her softly.

“Hey, mom,” Hope greeted her, smiling at her.

“Hi, honey,” she said in greeting, gently petting Hope’s hair. “How was your day?”

“It was good. Lots of fun at school, then had art classes. Daddy picked me up,” her daughter told her, her blue eyes shining with delight.

“Did he? I’m guessing he also took you for a treat.” Hayley rolled her eyes at Klaus spoiling their daughter, but really she didn’t mind. She was glad Klaus was in Hope’s life, that he’d decided to be a father after all. Even if sometimes, Klaus’ parenting style involved spoiling Hope.

“Well, it’s only fair. I got an A on my math test,” Hope told her, rolling her eyes.

“Oh, I see. Then, it’s totally fair,” Hayley chuckled, amused. “Well, sweetie, did you do your homework?” she asked as she put her coat away and took off her boots, Hope still watching her. Her daughter followed after her as Hayley went to put her things in her home office/Klaus’ art studio, dumping her case files and brief case on her desk. “Hope?”

“Uh, I have to finish my Reading homework, but I’m almost done with it,” Hope muttered sheepishly.

“Well, then, go and do that. I’ll call you down for dinner, okay?” she said, caressing Hope’s cheek fondly.

“Okay, mom,” Hope agreed, and ran upstairs to her room while Hayley decided to look for Klaus.

Having no luck in the living room and kitchen area, she decided to go upstairs, and dropped by Hope’s room. 

“Sweetie, where’s your dad?”

Hope looked up from her desk. “Downstairs, terrace,” she said simply before returning to her work.

“’Kay, thanks, sweetie,” Hayley smiled before walking back downstairs. Sure enough, she found Klaus standing on the back terrace, glass of whiskey in hand.

“Hey,” she greeted, leaning against the backdoor. She was met by silence, and her stomach twisted with worry. “Not gonna say hello to your wife?” she quipped, smirking slightly in amusement.

Klaus half-turned, “hello, wife,” he mumbled. Hayley rolled her eyes, still amused.

“Oh, come on, Klaus. What’s wrong?” she asked, but he said nothing. Now, Hayley was worried. “Am I gonna have to drag this out of you? We said no secrets, Klaus!” she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. Still nothing. “What? What am I missing?”

Finally, Klaus turned around, his expression closed, his eyes glistening with tears. This really worried Hayley, because in the past almost nine years of them living together and being co-parents, she’d never seen him like this. “Klaus, what is it? What’s wrong?” she asked, her tone slightly hysterical, though she tried her best to sound calm and lawyer-like, but failing.

“Mikael is dead,” Klaus finally said, then took a sip of his drink.

“Mikael? Mikael as in-” she cut herself off and walked over to the father of her child. “Oh,” she muttered sadly. “I’m so sorry, Klaus,” she said softly, reaching to put her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder. At first he was rigid, unmoving, but then he let her, and he put his own arm around her, pulling her tightly to him. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

“Thanks, love,” Klaus whispered before downing his whiskey. “Shall we go and make dinner?”

They disentangled themselves from the embrace and walked to the kitchen, beginning to prepare dinner in silence. In her experience with Klaus, letting him brood over Mikael being dead was best, so Hayley just left him to his brooding. She called Hope downstairs, and Hope set the table before the three of them sat down. Dinner was a silent and tense affair, and Klaus retreated to his studio after while Hayley brought her files to the living room to work. Hope spent the evening drawing, then Hayley tucked her into bed, and Klaus dropped by to bid his daughter ‘goodnight’, the tension still clear in his shoulders and closed expression.

“I admit, I fantasized about the day the bastard finally bit it often,” Klaus announced, strolling into the living room, his old t-shirt covered in paint. Hayley looked up from her laptop. “Still, it was quite a shock. Apparently, he died after a car crash in surgery. And, do you know how I found out?” Hayley shook her head. “Caroline, Elijah’s wife called Davina to tell her. And, Davina told me,” he said, and Hayley could see how the anger simmering beneath the surface, could sense an outburst.

“I- I’m sorry, Klaus, I am. But, I don’t know how this- being pissed off is going to help,” she sighed, running a hand through her wavy brown hair before pulling it into a messy bun. “Can I do anything to help?” she wondered.

“Well, I’d like to get laid. Can you help with that?” he demanded curtly. Hayley rolled her eyes. “Ah, yes. I forgot. I can’t bloody well get laid because I’m married to you!” he hissed, slamming his hand against the wall. “Can’t have a scandal on our hands, can we Little Wolf?” Hayley bit back an insult, slightly amused by Klaus’ use of his nickname for her. [He’d come up with the nickname when she had her first case, and it had kind of stuck. Apparently, if she was really riled up in court, she resembled a wolf, according to Klaus. Hayley had wanted to bite back about his anger issues, but had decided against it].

“Klaus,” she drawled, no longer amused. “Go find something to paint,” she told him drily. Klaus just huffed and turned around, leaving her alone in the living room. Hayley groaned. [If it wasn’t for Hope, the last time Hayley would have had anything to do with Klaus would have been that night almost nine years ago when she’d hate-banged him while drunk at a party. But, a few weeks after that night, the two pink lines on the test had told her she hadn’t seen the last of Klaus Mikaelson. And, here they were, almost nine years later, raising Hope together and playing house like she didn’t want to kill him half the time. Klaus wasn’t really a bad guy, and over the years, they’d formed a solid friendship, but sometimes he was really insufferable].

There was a crash from the home office/art studio, and Hayley huffed as she stood up and marched towards it, pulling her cardigan closer to herself.

“Klaus!” she snapped. “Do you want to wake up Hope?” Klaus let out a deep, shuddering breath, then threw several of his brushes to the ground.

“Sorry, love,” he muttered.

“Do you want a drink?” she asked with a sigh. He nodded.

“I’ll just go shower,” he said, and brushed past her upstairs while she went back downstairs and filled to tumblers with whiskey, setting them on the dining room table. Klaus returned several minutes later, and joined her, though he didn’t say much. 


End file.
